Goddard to Meet with Mexico's Top Law Enforcement Officers on Border Security

(Phoenix, Ariz. -- Feb. 12, 2010) Attorney General Terry Goddard will travel to Mexico City to meet early next week with Mexico's Attorney General, Arturo Chavez Chavez, and other top Mexican law enforcement officials on a number of border security issues.

A principal topic on the agenda will be implementation of the $94 million settlement with Western Union that Goddard announced Thursday. The agreement calls for Western Union to provide previously unavailable data on money transfers in both the United States and Mexico that are suspected of being illicit. Goddard said access to that information will help Arizona and other Southwest border states stem the flow of cash to the international cartels based in Mexico that smuggle drugs and humans across the border.

Goddard also will be discussing strategies for collaborative criminal investigations and prosecutions in border-related crime. These discussions will include procedures for finding cross-border fugitives and the next steps in training of Mexican prosecutors by prosecutors from the Arizona Attorney General's Office.

Goddard has worked for the past several years to strengthen relations with Mexican law enforcement and to eliminate the Mexican border as a criminal refuge. During his term as chair of the Conference of Western Attorneys General three years ago, he made establishing a better working relationship his No. 1 priority. Meetings with top Mexican officials were held in Mexico and in Phoenix, leading to new agreements to work together in the fight against border crimes, which include drug smuggling, human smuggling, arms trafficking and money laundering.

Goddard will be available on Thursday, Feb. 18, to talk with reporters about the trip. Contact Molly Edwards with any further questions at 602-542-8019.